Järvenpää – The artist town of Finland

Järvenpää is one of the most densely populated cities in Finland. Over time, the city attracted numerous artists.

Profile

• Population: 44,455 (as of December 2020)
• Size: 39,95 km²
• Location: Uusimaa landscape; 60° 28′ N, 25° 6′ E

• Currency: Euro
• Costs: approx. 25% higher than in Germany
• Weather:

Month	Average temperature
January	-9°C to -3°C
February	-9°C to -3°C
March	-6°C to 2°C
April	-1°C to 9°C
May	5°C to 16°C
June	9°C to 20°C
July	12°C to 22°C
August	10°C to 20°C
September	6°C to 15°C
October	2°C to 8°C
November	-2°C to 2°C
December	-6°C to -1°C

• Drinking water quality: high

Järvenpää – history of the southern Finnish town

Järvenpää belonged to the neighboring village of Tuusula until 1951. Järvenpää has been a town since 1967. The population, which was about 23,300 in 1980, nearly doubled by December 2020.

From 1904 to 1957 the composer Jean Sibelius lived in the city and composed 5 of his 7 symphonies there. The writer Juhani Aho and the painter Eero Järnefelt also lived in Järvenpää.

Top 10 activities and sights in Järvenpää and surroundings

In Järvenpää you can find great sights and exciting activities. A vacation in this city will certainly not be boring.

Ainola – The house of Jean Sibelius

Ainola is the house in Järvenpää where the composer Jean Sibelius lived with his wife Aino. It is located about 500 meters from the lake “Tuusulanjärvi”.

The house was completed in 1903. The only instructions Sibelius gave architect Lars Sonck at the time were that the study should have a view of the lake and that there should be a green fireplace in the dining room.

Nowadays the house is considered a museum and can be visited. Admission for adults is 15 euros, for pensioners 10 euros, for students 8 euros and for children 4 euros.

Guided tours of the house can also be booked on the website Ainola – The Home of Aino and Jean Sibelius.

Järvenpään taidemuseo – The Art Museum of Järvenpää

The Järvenpää Art Museum was opened in 1992. It deals with the works of artists Eero Järnefelt and Venny Soldan-Brofeldt.

Admission for persons under 18 is free of charge. For adults, the entrance fee is 9 euros. The museum has a museum store where you can buy books, postcards and souvenirs related to the art and history of the region.

Click here for the official website of the museum, where you can also book tours: Front page | Järvenpään taidemuseo (jarvenpaantaidemuseo.fi).

Ahola

The museum includes, besides the main building, three other buildings: Ahola is one of them.

Ahola is the former home of Venny Soldan-Brofeldt and the writer Juhani Aho. Guided tours of the house are offered.

Suviranta

Suviranta is another building that belongs to the Art Museum. The building is the former home of artist Eero Järnefelt and his wife Saimi.

As for Ahola, guided tours are offered for Suviranta.

Villa Kokkonen – home of the composer Joonas Kokkonen

Villa Kokkonen is also part of the Järvenpää Art Museum and is the former home of composer Joonas Kokkonen. It was designed by the Finnish architect Alvar Aalto.

In the future, tours of this house may also be offered.

Lemmenlaaskson Frisbeegolfrata – Discgolf Park

Disc golf or frisbee golf is a popular sport in Finland. You can also practice this sport in Järvenpää.

On this disc golf course you can find 18 courses and the use of the park is free. If you like to play disc golf, or would like to try it out, this is the place for you.

Jumalansynnyttäjän Kazanilaisen ikonin kirkko – Orthodox Church of Our Lady

The Orthodox Church of Our Lady of Järvenpää was completed in 1980. It was designed by Ivan Kudryavtsev and the ceiling paintings are by Yuri Mitroshin. The exterior walls of the church are completely white and it has a striking blue domed roof.

The church has its own website: Orthodox Parish of Helsinki – Helsingin ortodoksinen seurakunta (hos.fi).

Puistoblues – Blues Festival

Puistoblues is a regular open-air festival in Järvenpää. The festival was held for the first time in 1978. Today Puistoblues is one of the biggest blues festivals in Europe.

Blues fans should not miss the festival in any case. Tickets can be purchased at Puistoblues – Järvenpään Blues-Jazz Diggarit ry.

ExitCenter.fi – Escape Room Center

At the Escape Room Center in Järvenpää, you can choose one of several rooms and have 60 minutes to escape from the room. You have to search for hidden clues, solve tasks and work in a team.

You can also organize private parties here. Those who wish to book an appointment can do so at Exitcenter Frontpage – ExitCenter – Pakohuone Järvenpää.

Kolmisointu – A landmark of the city

Kolmisointi is the name of a large, three-part yellow sculpture located in the park “Rantapuisto” in Järvenpää. It is the work of Rolf Westphal.

The sculpture has a height of 11 meters and its construction took only about four months.

Mobility in Järvenpää

Mobility is not a problem in Järvenpää. There are several alternatives that can be used to get around.

Bus and train

It is easy to get around Järvenpää by bus. In addition, the city has a railroad station, which is located directly at the bus station. So you can also use trains.

Järvenpää train station: on Google Maps

Cab

Of course, you can also get around with the help of a cab. Some cab companies that operate in Järvenpää are as follows:

• Järvenpää Taxis Ltd(Lähitaksi – Lähitaksi (lahitaksi.fi))

Contact: +358 100 7300

• Petax Oy(Petax Taksit, Taksi Järvenpää)

Contact: +358 600 301103

• Taksi Feldman(Taksi Järvenpää | Taksi Feldman)

Contact: +358 400956796

Own car or rental car

Of course, having your own car is a good way to get around. If you do not have your own car, it is possible to rent one. For this purpose you can use, for example, the company Scandia Rent in Järvenpää.

Airport

Järvenpää does not have its own airport. However, Helsinki Airport is not far from Järvenpää and you can take a train, bus or cab to the airport. A trip by car, starting from the center of the city, takes about half an hour.

Accommodation for vacationers in Järvenpää

In Järvenpää itself you will find rather little accommodation. Those who absolutely want accommodation in the city are most likely to find it in the search for a hotel.

If you are also satisfied with accommodation near the city, you have the best chance to find suitable accommodation in Helsinki.

Accommodation in Järvenpää: on Google Maps

Culinary – restaurants, cafes and bars in Järvenpää

There is no shortage of restaurants, cafes and bars in Järvenpää. Some of them are quite recommendable.

Huvila

Restaurant Huvila offers not only delicious food – it is also a perfect place for art lovers. There are regular art exhibitions here, which you can admire.

The Sibelius Cabinet is also located here. This is a permanent exhibition about the life and work of Jean Sibelius.

The restaurant has its own website: Ravintola Huvila (huvilassa.fi). (The site is only available in Finnish).

Vellikello kahvila

This small café is something very special. It is located in a small, typical Finnish wooden hut. The choice of dishes is wide and in winter the cottage is decorated for Christmas.

Also from the inside the cottage is made of wood, which gives it a unique rustic charm. Sometimes even concerts are held here.

Click here to visit the café’s Facebook page: Vellikello kahvila | Facebook.

McArthur Irish Bar

This bar was created on the Irish model. It is open every day from 2 pm and always stays open until at least 2 am.

Karaoke is held here on Fridays and Saturdays. Karaoke is generally very popular in Finland and is almost always part of a successful evening at the pub.

For the bar’s official website, click here: McArthur Irish Bar. (The site is only available in Finnish).

Shopping and supplies in Järvenpää

A real shopping center cannot be found in Järvenpää. For grocery shopping, there are, for example, Prisma-keskus and K-Citymarket.

Health care is provided by the health center and several pharmacies. Also in Prisma-keskus and K-Citymarket you can find a pharmacy each.

Nature experiences in the city

The nature in Scandinavia is something unique. You can also experience parts of this nature in Järvenpää.

Tuusulanjärvi

Tuusulanjärvi is a lake with an area of about 6 km². It has an elongated shape and is responsible for the name of the city. Järvenpää means “head of the lake” and the town is indeed located at the head of the lake.

Lemmenlaakson luontopolku

This nature trail and hiking trail has a length of about three kilometers. Along the way you can admire beautiful forest and river landscapes and discover numerous species of plants and animals.

There is a flyer with a map and pictures of the trail. (The flyer is only available in Finnish).

Tervanokan uimaranta

Just because you’re not right by the sea doesn’t mean you have to miss out on going to the beach. Tervanokka beach is located on the shore of Tuusulanjärvi.

It consists partly of sand and partly of stones. On warm summer days you can swim in the water or sunbathe in the sand. But also in winter the beach is beautiful and definitely worth a visit.

Joukon polku & lintutorni

This hiking route passes by the shore of Tuusulanjärvi. Numerous plant and animal species along the way are waiting to be discovered.

But the highlight of the trail is the bird watching tower. Those who climb the tower can watch the seagulls circling over the lake from above and also discover many other species of birds.

Language – Some basics in Finnish

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. However, Swedish is spoken by only about 5% of the population.

A large part of the population speaks English. So you can get along well with English. However, it is still helpful to know some basics in Finnish.

Hello!	Hei!/Moi!/Terve!
Bye!	Heippa!/Hei hei!/Moi moi!
Thank you!	Kiitos!
Please.	Ole hyvä!
Yes	Kyllä/Joo
No	Egg
A coffee, please.	Yksi kahvi, kiitos.
Where can I find the toilet?	Missä on vessa?
I do not speak Finnish.	Minä en puhu suomea.
Can you* say that in German/English?	Voitko sanoa sen saksaksi/englanniksi?

* In Finnish we always use the first form of address.

Conclusion

Järvenpää is a unique town that many great personalities have called home over the years. The city offers a variety of entertainment options and breathtaking views of Finnish nature.

Järvenpää is an excellent vacation destination for young and old, and if you want to learn about the history of art in Finland, this is the place to be.

The most frequent questions from travelers

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